Prayer is how we communicate with God.
We pray because we trust God, want to follow God’s way, and depend on God for guidance, strength and comfort.
Jesus prayed often and taught his followers to do the same.
There are many ways to pray, and it’s good to experiment to find a way that suits you.
Praying doesn’t have to include words, it might involve artwork, meditation, or even crying or screaming! Spend time with God, as you are, like you would spend time with a friend. This might be silent companionship, a good chat, or something physical or creative.
You should pray however feels natural to you, but it’s also good to try something different and see what happens.
What does prayer include?
There isn’t one set formula for prayer, it’s all about you and God. But some elements are often included:
- Adoration – praising God for who God is.
- Confession – telling God about the times we’ve messed up and seeking forgiveness.
- Intercession – praying for other people we know, or for world events and strangers affected by them.
- Petition – asking for our own needs.
- Thanksgiving – giving thanks for God’s gifts.
- Meditation – reflecting quietly and resting in God’s presence.
Does God hear our prayers?
God always hears our prayers. Answers may not come immediately or in the way we expect. Sometimes we do not recognise the answer, or God may use us to answer our own prayers or those of others.
Our small group course, Sunshine and Showers: Prayer’s Beautiful Messiness, explores this in more detail.
The Lord’s Prayer
Jesus gave us the prayer we call the Lord’s Prayer. It is both a prayer to use and a model for our own prayers. Some people say it regularly, others use it as a jumping off point to think about what the words mean for us, personally, in this moment. It is often said in church services and events, with everyone speaking aloud together.
Try speaking it out loud now, pausing after each line to consider what it means for you. Or write it down, doodling around the words.
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your Name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,
now and for ever.
Amen.
Praying in the name of Christ
To pray in the name of Christ means to pray with his authority, as people whom God has saved and brought close through Jesus. It also means that what we ask for should be in line with Christ’s will – what Jesus himself would want for us. When we pray in his name, we trust that our requests are shaped by his love and purpose, and we submit them to that test.
